Lotus Exige S Type 72

Special edition Exige marks brand's return to F1

Lotus is to offer a 'Type 72' limited edition version of the Exige S. The Elise got a Type 72 edition back in 2002, and now its hard-top sibling gets a similar makeover designed to remind us of the iconic John Player Special formula one car.

There is an optional Performance Pack available which boosts power from 218bhp to nearly 240bhp, and adds launch control, variable traction control, AP Racing brakes and a bigger roof scoop. Quite significant upgrades, with a three grand price tag to match.

Just 20 Exige S Type 72s will be sold in the UK, to mark the 20 Grand Prix victories that the F1 car achieved. Each car will set buyers back £36,945 on-the-road, with no delivery date confirmed as yet.

The release of the special edition has been timed to celebrate the return of the Lotus brand to Formula One (even if it's not the Hethel boys themselves), by evoking one of the original Lotus F1's finest hours. Perhaps it hopes that some of the 72 magic will rub off on the new Malaysian team...

P.H. O'meter

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Okay. Lotusphiles are there any significant differences here in kit compared to other Exige 2s or 240s?

kambites29 Dec 2009

PiB said:

Okay. Lotusphiles are there any significant differences here in kit compared to other Exige 2s or 240s?

Nope. Just the colours. Daft isn't it.

Still we should hopefully see an S3 Elise next year some time.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 29th December 08:04

John the Blind29 Dec 2009

Spec on this car doesn't matter, it's all about the feelings it invokes.

One of the original Esprit JPS cars was owned by someone who lived down the road from us when we were kids. Regardless of how it is thought of now, at the time it was the coolest car we had ever seen up close and in the flesh.

And so it would not matter if it had bicycle peddles for performance, as soon as I saw that colour scheme, great fond memories came flooding back. I am sure that there are 20 thirty/forty somethings like me who would snap one up

Silver993tt29 Dec 2009

so why not just offer the new paint scheme and interior bits as an option to every new buyer since there's no fundamental change in the car?

W111AAM29 Dec 2009

There's been one of these in my local Lotus showroom for a month or so now. Looks very nice, but I'm not a fan of the alloys. Prefere the standard Exige ones.